Previously, I discussed the three options for call center training:  in-house development, commercial-off-the-shelf, and custom development.  After you have determined that you need to rollout new training (the analysis phase, which is a decision worthy of at least one other post!), then you will need to evaluate your different implementation options.  There are several key areas to evaluate when trying to choose a training program; one way to look at these areas would be to consider the who, what, when, where, and why of the start-to-finish training program.  In this case, the who would be the people who will actually be developing, delivering, and evaluating your training.

• Who are the training developers? Many people assume that the people who develop the training must be subject matter experts (SMEs) as well.  This is often not the case!  Well-qualified training developers should have a solid understanding of adult education and instructional system design.  A good training developer is adept at working with SMEs to create the actual training materials.  If you are considering in-house training development, do you have someone who has education or past experience in training development?  If you’re considering COTS or custom development, are you comfortable with the experience of the training developers?

• Who will deliver the training? While a training developer might not need subject matter expertise, it is often helpful for the actual trainer to be well-versed in the content.  Adult students have a knack for asking tough questions of trainers, who should be ready to answer and to provide a variety of real-world examples.  In an ideal world, the trainer would have a combination of experience both as an educator as well as with the content itself.  In reality, most training developers become so familiar with the content during the development process that they are, in reality, just as much a SME as the technical wizard with whom they were originally working.

• Who will evaluate the training? Will the program involve evaluation throughout the training itself and, if so, who will be evaluating the learners’ understanding?  Who developed the evaluation criteria and methods.  It’s probably unrealistic to “test” the trainees in a call center, but a realistic picture of comprehension and transfer of new material by a qualified evaluator can help identify areas for remediation.  Again, ideally this evaluator should have a thorough knowledge of the subject matter so that, during any evaluation, he/she can understand any mistakes that learners might make and help to correct misunderstandings.

Of course the qualifications of the people involved in the training is only one area to evaluate when choosing a training program, but a clear understanding of who it is that will be developing, delivering, and evaluating any training program will help you to identify whether it is likely to be successful.

About Kelly: Kelly has been working as a contract technical writer for Inova Solutions for nearly three years. As a recovering high school English teacher, she enjoys the opportunity to still employ her ‘red ink’ when writing, editing, and formatting documentation. You can contact Kelly at kelly@insideinova.com.